Insignia
by oovwee
Summary: Treachery. Power. Revenge. How far is permissable to achieve a higher rank? A joint fanfic between myself and the great master, Thorned Rose. Not much in the summary, because we're not planning ahead. We're in just as much suspense as you!


She ran her fingers along her lower back, easing the tension away as best she could without revealing her location to the people she silently viewed. From her crouching position, she could see the couple inside the cabin, but the aching cold and increasing fatigue was causing her to lose sight of her mission. She mused to herself how inappropriate this must appear to an outsider, yet persisted in her duties; her failures had been too many of late and could not risk another lest she face demotion. Her partner, however, went from strength to strength, and she could not bear to be without him should she fail. Determined to succeed, she rubbed her hands together futilely for warmth before continuing to take notes in the small notebook resting on her chilled lap. A small light danced across her eyes as she could see the object of her focus finally achieving exposure. Quietly as possible, she abandoned her position in the shrubbery and crept closer to the cottage.

Inside the cabin in question, the male conversed jovially with his female companion, showing her his newly acquired item. The third member of their party had retired for the night long ago, and it was only now he felt courageous enough to share the knowledge of his possession with another, his excitement too great to contain a moment longer. Stealthily sneaking closer to the window, the unseen visitor attempted to memorise every detail of the package without announcing her presence. The male revealed a mere stack of paper, which shocked her immensely. Knowing there would be no feasible way to read the words imprinted on the sheets from her current location, her aggravation grew as she watched the two partners inside dance with happiness.

Tears of frustration stung her amethyst eyes, knowing that she now faced the added hardship of breaking into the cabin to retrieve it whilst its occupants slept. Her precise orders dictated she lacked even the slightest margin for error: attain all details of the potential mutiny and report her findings without hesitation. Although she could hardly state she felt close to the mirthful pair in the candlelit room, she knew the option was simple: their lives or hers. She could not contemplate a life of meaning should she become irreversibly separated from her partner, demotion a fate worse than death for her. She carefully retreated to her previous position in the foliage, hoping the rejoicing pair would soon retire for the night. She attempted to fight the tempting proposition of sleep, but her worn down will coupled with her weakened body could not battle the powerful lure, and her head drooped into the crook of her arm.

A fearow's shrill shriek in the vicinity caused her to jolt awake and the moment her eyes flew open her stomach contracted violently; her failure was apparent—the cabin was completely void of life within. There would be no proof of their ever having occupied it; they knew the rules as clear as she regarding evidence of their location, and she knew it unlikely she would discover tracks in the hard mud to trail. Her attempt to regain favour completely blown because of her inability to stay awake for a couple of hours; wretched did not come close to how she felt.

Her primal instinct was to break down in tears, but the thought of her lost partner crossed her mind and she automatically gathered the meagre supplies prior to following her targets. Scrutinising the ground around the cabin revealed faint yet fresh footprints headed toward the nearest city. She was surprised that the trio's audacity to head toward a city so full of agents looking for them, but she doubted the three would have attempted to hide their path. They led her to a course evidently accessed frequently and she quickened her pace, hoping she could catch up with the treasonous trio, and the item in their possession, before they could evade her efforts again.

Further north of the distressed woman by more than a few miles, the group in question briskly marched to reach their destination before nightfall. Ordinarily they would have used a method of transport, but with such a hefty bounty on their collective heads they knew it would be nothing short of suicide to flout extreme bravado. Their fast pace gruelling, they lacked an alternative option worth their consideration. The man allowed them one chance to confer with him and should they miss their allocated appointment all their risk would be for nought. His lack of tolerance made Giovanni appear akin to a fluffy newborn mareep in comparison.

The urgency of their actions was apparent. Approaching a small trail to the side, the female jerked her thumb to indicate the correct direction instead of speaking in order to shave fractions of a second. The three arduously climbed through the path, too rushed to feel the pain caused by thorns from the bracken ripping small gashes into their flesh. The group slowed only upon entering the clearing in which they would deliver their information, as they had to follow procedure exactly to the agreed fashion. James suppressed the urge to leave before their associate could arrive but he knew this meeting was all that offered some hope of survival. The excitement of his secret yet valuable possession suppressed, he wondered how they'd managed to screw up so much this time. Instead of blasting off and slapping a few bandages on, somehow they'd compromised their lives with heated words they had not intended to exchange with their superior. This man offered them their path out, but his price was one they were not willing to pay.

Regrettably, Giovanni learnt of their association with the man, requiring the reluctant team to work with the man. Ruthless and shrewd by nature, the man entered the small clearing and spied the three agents opposite him. In a commanding voice that left no room for failure or deception, the man ordered they formally present themselves.

Usually regarded as the epitome of composure, Jessie screamed in horror when the man's words sank in, risking everything to gaze into her partner's eyes for what could well be their final exchange. James' weak smile in return stunned her more; he was prepared to go through with it to save his own skin where she could not bring herself to defy her natural instinct.

She turned to face the man to voice her protestations, but before she parted her rouged lips, the man smirked insolently as he swiftly produced an item guaranteed to procure her silence. Her immediate anger waned to a combination of proportionate terror and awe once her gaze fell upon it.


End file.
